Chapter 105: A Hard Year Turns (16 to 31 December 1940)
Introduction. This report is full of news from the battlefront and the world at large. On the home and propaganda front, Persephonee Fotheringay-Phipps and Tom Rosencrantz prepare New Year issues of their respective newspapers, which will be seen on 1 January 1941. Vito Ceylan regathers his forces in Switzerland and awaits the arrival of his son, Captain ‘Mike’ Ceylan, to help run S.I.T.H. operations in Western Europe. A long cold winter sets in on the Eastern Front, while the Comintern Alliance awaits the arrival of Germany’s victorious mechanised forces.
So, back at the front lines …
16 Dec 40
The days passes quietly, with no reports of clashes or air raids from the front. Perhaps things will remain quiet until the end of the year …
17 Dec 40
… or maybe not. The day starts with the arrival of a new militia brigade, which is deployed to guard the port of
Dubrovnik, just behind the
Yeniçeri Line on the Adriatic coast.
Simultaneous Hungarian air raids begin at 4am, on
Timisoara (a single CAS wing) and
Ada (2 x TAC). 73 troops in
Timisoara and 386 in
Ada are killed in three raids on each during the day. And at the same time, the Soviets report they have once again retaken the German border town of
Memel, which the Germans had themselves reoccupied earlier in the month. Another of those places that seems to regularly change hands between the two.
News report: Washington DC, US. President Roosevelt gives a press conference in which he suggests leasing or selling of arms to Britain "on the general theory that it may still prove true that the best defense of Great Britain is the best defense of the United States, and therefore that these materials would be more useful to the defense of the United States if they were used in Great Britain, than if they were kept in storage here."
18 Dec 40
Hungarian air raids on
Timisoara cease, but two more are made on
Ada, with another 314 brave Turkish soldiers lost.
19 Dec 40
The Italians take over the bombing task for
Timisoara, with two TAC raining destruction down on the Comintern forces there – 194 are killed in two raids. The Hungarians leave
Ada alone today.
Mid-morning brings the first sighting of German panzers on the Eastern Front, reported by our Soviet allies: medium tanks in the Polish sector, where the Soviets are trying to inch their way towards
Warsaw.
OTL Event. German submarine U-37 mistakenly torpedoed and sank the Vichy French submarine Sfax and support ship Rhône off the coast of Morocco. The U-boat captain chose not to record this incident on the ship's logs.
Comments:
1) Can understand why the U-Boat skipper “chose not” to record these! 
2) I wish it would happen in-game.
20 Dec 40
More newly-arrived German panzers are sighted, this time in the northern sector, near
Königsberg. More medium armour – the numbers and unit ID are unknown.
That afternoon, an excited Soviet LO at Inönü’s HQ 1st Army in
Kraljevo advises they have taken
Zwolen, further extending the grinding breakthrough towards
Warsaw. This is good work … but that German panzer division is ominously poised and will improve German counter-attacking capacity in this sector.
The Hungarian CAS wing takes over bombing duties in
Timisoara from the Italians, killing 120 Comintern soldiers in three raids today. They seem to be giving the province a good working-over, tag-team style. Inönü starts to wonder whether this presages an attack, but there is no Axis ground movement there for now. And
Timisoara is well-defended, including by Turkey’s two best units: 1 Inf Div and 1 Cav Div. The Italian switched over to hit
Ada twice that day, causing 179 casualties.
Entertainment News: US. Issue #1 of Captain America Comics (cover date March 1941) was published, marking the first appearances of Captain America, Bucky and the Red Skull. Note: some Captain America covers might make it into the mail services, in the future, sent from BJ Guildenstern to Perse. They are full of excellent anti-Fascist propaganda for the masses!
The first issue of Captain America. Subtle! Good to see Hitler getting a smack in the jaw.
21 Dec 40
The air raids on
Timisoara cease. Perhaps the Hungarians are suffering some organisational degradation. The Italians set into a pattern at
Ada though, two raids a day, morning and afternoon. They kill another 252 troops.
22 Dec 40
Early that morning, GRU liaison reports that the first German heavy (Tiger?) tanks have been sighted in the east, again up north near
Brest-Litovsk. It has taken a few weeks, but the German panzer presence is steadily building. The Comintern commanders reflect though that, though they may have finally fallen, France’s resistance did at least mean that Germany’s initial morale boost following the launching of the
Great Liberation War in June had worn off by the time of their appearance in the east. It remains to be seen whether it will be enough to allow the line to be held where it is.
At 7pm, the Romanians report that
Debrecen [the key Hungarian border VP city] has once again been retaken by the Axis, with the Soviets being forced to retreat. Another much fought-over piece of ground. Italian TAC bombers kill another 242 troops in
Ada.
23 Dec 40
More German panzer divisions start to assembled in the Polish sector - ready no doubt to contest the Soviet offensive. As so the weight of German steel begins to make itself felt in the east.
A new artillery brigade is delivered. It is assigned to 12 Inf Div (Spt) in
Beograd. The AA brigade is swapped out to HQ 1st Corps.
In
Ada, the Hungarians taking over bombing duties again from Italy. In three heavy raids that day they kill 448 Turkish troops!
News report: Broadcast, UK. Winston Churchill, still not in the British Cabinet but becoming an increasingly outspoken critic of Chamberlain’s prosecution of the war effort, makes a broadcast appeal to the people of Italy, telling them to overthrow Mussolini for bringing them into a war against their wishes. "Surely the Italian army, which has fought so bravely on many occasions in the past but now evidently has no heart for the job, should take some care of the life and future of Italy?" Churchill asks. It is unlikely that many Italians heard the speech since they were forbidden from listening to foreign broadcasts.
Churchill – still a voice in the wilderness. Much to Perse’s obvious chagrin. She ensures his speech is rebroadcast – with a translation – to Italy from the Glorious Republic’s Greek and Adriatic transmitting stations.
24 Dec 40
This broader view of the northern Soviet sector of the line shows a range of German panzer and motorised divisions are now in play. We will see if their addition has an appreciable effect on the line in coming weeks and months.
More Soviet units are responding to calls to help reinforce the thinly held southern sector of the
Yeniçeri Line. An Axis breakthrough here could eventually undermine the whole front, as it would be unlikely Turkey could hold short of Greece and Bulgaria.
The skies finally fall silent over
Ada and remain so at
Timisoara. Perhaps the Axis have decided not to attack the
Yeniçeri Line until some time in the new year?
OTL Event. Mahatma Gandhi wrote his second letter to Hitler, addressing him as "Dear Friend" and appealing to him "in the name of humanity to stop the war. You will lose nothing by referring all the matters of dispute between you and Great Britain to an international tribunal of your joint choice. If you attain success in the war, it will not prove that you were in the right. It will only prove that your power of destruction was greater. Whereas an award by an impartial tribunal will show as far as it is humanly possible which party was in the right." [In hindsight, amazing this was written, and if anyone seriously thought Hitler would respond favourably.]
25 Dec 40
Christmas Day 1940 remains generally quiet, at least in the Turkish sector of the line. A new infantry brigade is delivered: it is used to reinforce the reserve 4 Inf Div, currently guarding the Dardanelles at
Gelibolu (it doesn’t sit in the forts of
Canakkale as the mountainous terrain causes increased attrition to any troops there). 4 Inf Div can reinforce the front line, hold the
Calistar Line in case of a general retreat, be used as a rapid naval landing force or be deployed in case Vichy Syria must be fought. Note, the new 12th Inf Bde must also upgrade from L4 to L5 equipment, as well as organise itself.
26 Dec 40
As if to show any Christmas Truce (if it even existed) is well and truly over, the Hungarians resume bombing of both
Timisoara (CAS, 85 casualties) and
Ada (TAC, 368 casualties). This prompts LTGEN Cakmak to send his HQ, with its newly assigned AA brigade, to
Ada. It may be minimally effective, but the AA guns can at least be put to some use and if an attack eventuates, the province’s defences will be reinforced.
But as it turns out, there would be no more air raids on
Ada for the rest of the month. Total casualties in
Ada alone, in air raids lasting (on and off) from 17-26 December, were 2,189. A heavy toll.
Entertainment News: US. The romantic comedy film The Philadelphia Story starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart was released. The film is about a socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband and a tabloid magazine journalist. Nominated for six Academy Awards, the film won two; James Stewart for Best Actor and Donald Ogden Stewart for Best Adapted Screenplay. It was remade in 1956 as a musical, retitled High Society, starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra.
27 Dec 40
At midnight, the Soviets report they have retaken
Senta. This is all well and good, but unless they reinforce, it will be difficult to hold – which is why Turkey abandoned it previously. They will not be sucked back into that man-trap this time. We’ll see if the Soviets can hold it, but the prospects are poor.
A check on leadership and officer strength after the recent deployment of new units prompts Turkey to cease training of new diplomats for now (enough are to hand for requirements). Espionage training is maintained at current levels. The small surplus
[0.08 LS] is put into Officer Training.
No air raids are reported this day (or indeed the next).
28 Dec 40
At 5pm, as feared, the Soviet’s short re-occupation of
Senta is ended by an Axis counter-attack. But in somewhat better news, and despite the presence of increasing amounts of German panzers, the Soviets once more take
Gumbinnen. But it is an isolated salient and they don’t seem to be reinforcing – so the battered and bloodied ground will no doubt once again go back and forth as it has for months.
As Inönü sits down to his evening reports, on of the watch officers from the Army HQ’s Command Post comes into his field office,
walking quickly but purposefully (the young officer and his colleagues have been told many a time by Inönü that “officers must not run, as it panics the troops!”)
“Glorious Milli Şef, the enemy have launched a night attack on
Timisoara from
Sânnicolou Mare. At least two divisions are involved, one of them the SS-Verfügungstruppe Division, the other Hungarian.”
Inönü walks calmly to the CP, giving no outward indication of any concern, whatever he may have been thinking.
So much for a quiet end to the year, is what he muttered to himself.
29 Dec 40
More news is received at 1am: The dreaded General Busch’s 23rd Inf Div is now attempting to reinforce the Axis attack from
Arad, tipping the odds a little further towards the Axis, but they remain in Turkey’s favour.
And sure enough, Axis air raids on
Timisoara start up again in the early hours of the morning – the Italians this time, killing 147 Comintern troops.
30 Dec 40
The fighting continued throughout the rest of the 29th, not showing any appreciable wear and tear yet on either side. At 3am on the 30th, word is received that ‘The Nemesis’ Busch has indeed managed to reinforce the Axis battle line – but fortunately, the Hungarian general remains in command!
And some rare new is received – one of Turkey’s limited number of convoys has been intercepted – there are still some Italian navy units operating out there! We believe the convoy was sunk by subs but cannot be sure. Plenty of spare convoys remain, so no further action is taken.
The lethality of the Italian air raids on
Timisoara increases, with 249 Comintern casualties in the two daily raids.
Later that evening, a turning point in the latest
Battle for Timisoara occurs: for reasons that remain unclear (it didn’t look as though their casualties had been to heavy), the Hungarian and SS divisions pull out of the attack! This leaves the German 23rd Inf Div once again alone and outnumbered – though it does mean the redoubtable Busch takes command of the Axis attack. The likelihood of an Axis victory – never high to start with – suddenly becomes a good deal less.
News Report: Broadcast, US. President Roosevelt uses the phrase "Arsenal of Democracy" during a radio address promising to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by providing them with war supplies. Roosevelt promises to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by giving them military supplies while the United States stayed out of the actual fighting. The slogan “Arsenal of democracy” refers to the collective efforts of American industry in supporting the Allies, which efforts tended to be concentrated in the established industrial centres of the U.S., such as Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, and other places.
31 Dec 40
The fighting in
Timisoara is well in hand, so Inönü catches up on some of his war as War (Armament) Minister. With recent production runs having been completed, Örlungat’s new (expensive) wing of Yak-4 TAC bombers is now up to 53% production capacity. Resource stockpiles remain very good (and well balanced). There are still 35 spare convoys available to make up any losses or, if necessary, strike new trade deals with non-Comintern countries.
The last day of 1940 sees the fighting continue in
Timisoara, but now going well in the Comintern’s favour. However, the Italian bombing ratchets up yet again, causing another 391 casualties. In raids between 17-31 December, Axis aircraft have inflicted 1,259 casualties in
Timisoara on Comintern forces (some of those taken by the Soviets and Romanians).
By the end of the day, Busch has again been hung out to dry by his comrades (other than the Italian air force) but continues the fight until the bitter end. His unit is now badly down on organisation. The mighty Turkish 1 Inf Div (which has borne the brunt of the fighting) is showing a little wear and tear but holds strongly. The fight will continue into the new year of 1941.
Monthly Global Combat Summaries
While the major review of the year that was and prospects for the year ahead will be examined more fully in the next chapter, Inönü spends the hour before midnight – and the dawning of another year of bitter struggle – reviewing the summaries of progress on the active theatres of the world, including some reports from the British, where there have been some interesting – though not extraordinary - developments.
Key: In the maps below, the green dotted line is the front as it was on 1 December; any arrows represent changes as at 15 December; the red dotted line is the current front, with national icons showing territories gained (or regained) since 15 December.
Eastern Front
In the northern sector, the Soviets have regained and held
Memel, but the Germans have used their mechanised forces to advance in the centre and have held their earlier gains in the south.
As noted previously, in Poland the Soviets had advanced again on a three-province-wide towards
Warsaw, adding
Zwolen to their gains since 15 December. But from these latest reports, it looks like the Axis has counter-attacked the salient in force and all the gains made since 1 December will be lost. Our allies will need to be careful they are not caught ‘on the hop’, given the apparent strength of this counter-offensive.
In the Hungary-Romania sector, while
Debrecen could not be held, some ground on the Romanian border and the east of Hungary has been taken by the Soviets. But again, where some ground is gained, other is under threat.
Inönü is well aware of events in the
Ada-Timisoara sector, so he looks to a SITREP on the rest of the
Yeniçeri Line. There are a few more Axis units, but not too many: no German armour has been sighted. The Soviets continue to dutifully reinforce the line, modestly but proportionately to the threat. There has not been a single ground attack or air raid on this sector since the
Great Liberation War began on 1 June. But complacency must be avoided.
Soviet Far East
Things seemed to have slowed down a little: the Japanese have advanced in southern Mongolia since mid-December, but no further in the north of the country. One small bright note – the Soviets actually reclaimed province on the coast (see inset below)! Even if the Japanese look like they will advance into the province to its west.
And, as previously promised, here is a broad-scale snapshot of that Romanian infantry corps in Mongolia: Perhaps they have done a little to slow things down in central Mongolia, which remains the most dangerous place in the line there for now.
British Fronts
We will lead off with some interesting news: the British report they have made a landing in the occupied Netherlands! It seems to be a raid only, with the 1st Royal Marine landing in
Rotterdam, but no other Allied units are in place. If it isn’t reinforced, it will be doomed, but it is better than nothing. Perhaps. From the Turkish perspective. A pity these troops and a few more of their mates weren’t mobilised to help defend the West earlier in the year! Still, perhaps a few diversions such as this will help to distract the Germans. At great personal cost to the marines.
The offensive has been renewed (through the Iraqis) in Libya, where steady progress has been made during the month. While the Iraqis are still advancing, the Italians seem to have reinforcements and it is unclear whether the Allies will be able to complete their conquest of Libya by taking
Tripoli. We can only hope British dominance of the Med has strangled Italian supplies to North Africa. Turkey is still unsure what has become of the French Fleet. Certainly, as will be seen later in the Naval Report, none of their vessels has been reported as sunk. If the British know anything, they are not telling us.
The British have done nothing about Saudi Arabia for now and nor has Turkey, though a fleet recon may be ordered in the new year and any plans for a seaborne knock-out blow examined. But for now, all Turkish eyes are fixed firmly on the Eastern Front. A few more gains are made in the reconquest of Ethiopia.
Naval Report
No German or British losses at sea have been reported since 15 December. The Soviets lost the
5. Flotiliya Esmintsev in the Far East, sunk by carrier-borne aircraft from the
IJNS Akagi (CV). The Italians (only) lost yet another light cruiser.
The RM Alberico da Barbiano was a Giussano-class light cruiser, laid down on 16 April 1928, launched 23 August 1930 and commissioned 9 June 1931. It had a standard displacement of 6,571 tonnes, a complement of 507 men and a main armament of 8 × 152 mm (6 in) guns in twin mountings. Sunk in December 1940 by the HMS Warspite (BB).
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Coming Up: As mentioned in the introduction, the next chapter will look backwards over 1940 and forward to 1941, while some familiar characters will make an appearance and at least one new one an entrance. Will the Germans unleash a winter offensive in the east? Or marshal their strength and wait for better conditions for the attack? Will Chamberlain continue as Prime Minister of the UK – is his raid on
Rotterdam a small concession to those – like Churchill – who have long advocated a more robust effort to fight the Axis? 1941 promises to be a decisive one – if not for the whole war, then at least for this next phase of it. The US is yet to enter the war (if they ever will) and we don’t yet know how aggressive the Germans will be, now they only have gnats pestering them in the West. You, my dear readers, will find out when I do!
